The Household Support Scheme focuses on supporting local individuals, families and community groups during the current cost of living crisis. It consists of three elements:

1. Immediate crisis support for the most vulnerable in our community.
2. Advice and information on where additional help can be found.
3. Ongoing social engagement and support to help with community cohesion and building resilience in our community- a sense of being a part of something bigger than ourselves.

With energy prices soaring, and the increase in basic household essentials, we are finding more locals are facing hardship. Our key aim with the Household Support Scheme is to provide help to those in crisis and ensure no one needs to make the difficult choice to heat their home or put food on the table. The Household Support Scheme covers the Hebden Royd and Todmorden post code areas. If you are outside of this locality, please reference our resources guide so we can sign-post you to an organisation in your area.

Calder Community Cares is responding to the community through continuing with our well-established schemes and adding some new initiatives:

The Kindness Directory and Calendar

Calder Community Cares has built a directory that maps out all free resources across the Upper Calder Valley that anyone can use. This includes, where to find your local warm spaces, free hot meals, coffee mornings or social events. Information for the Kindness Directory has been collected by our team with a focus on finding warm spaces and events that are free or low cost. Anyone can make use of the Kindness Directory and Calendar and Calder Community Cares has funded many of the additional overhead costs for these groups .

If you know of a free event or organisation that you would like to add to our Warm Spaces Kindness Directory and Map, please register with us. Make sure to include as much information as possible.

Vulnerable Persons Support Scheme

Working through statutory organisations such as Tod Job Centre, Social Services, Social Prescribers, Calderdale Customer First Vulnerable adults service, local Food drop ins and other local charities we have been busy delivering the following aid:

Emergency Food Vouchers

With the support of our partners, we are now able to distribute emergency food vouchers for those in crisis. These vouchers are designed to help those who are in extreme financial need. We are usually referred to by the Job Centre, Social services and other partner organisations. The vouchers are enough to provide food for a family for a few days and allows them to manage until they can access a local Food Drop In Service.

Warmth and Energy Saving Appliances

Our team of passionate volunteers has secured household appliances to support people to keep warm and use less energy at home. The rapid rise in energy bills has resulted in many vulnerable people looking into alternative ways to say warm. The Household Support Scheme has distributed hot water bottles, blankets and gloves to keep people warm through the cold months, supported by our partners. We aim to continue to supply this support from income from the Calder Kindness Shop, grants, your donations and fundraising activities. We will post here when the fund next opens.

These have included:

• Single boil kettles
• Air fryers
• Electric blankets
• Thermal mugs
• Children’s pyjamas
• British made thermal blankets
• Hot water bottles
• Slow cookers

And many other useful items to help reduce heating costs.